Petr Yan got destroyed by Merab Dvalishvili in the UFC Las Vegas main event back in March 2023.
Shortly after the fight, Yan started posting cryptic messages about his health, suggesting outside factors
were to blame for his loss to “The Machine.” After working his way back into title contention, “No Mercy” flat-out told the combat sports media that he was only “50 percent” healthy when he first fought Dvalishvili.
Those remarks were “a little disappointing” for coach John Wood.
“I’m a Yan fan, that was a little disappointing,” Wood told Mike Bohn. “Well, now we’ve got to go out there and do you worse than we did the first time, just to prove a point. And I think Merab will. You also got a Merab who was also 50 percent in skill set. He’s so much better than when they first fought and the second fight is gonna be so much worse for him. The fact that he said that, I’m just like … and I don’t know if he’s actually saying it or if there’s people behind the scenes writing this sh*t for him, but it’s like, dude, just shut up. Like, you’re a fantastic fighter, nothing but respect for him and his camp, but come on, man.”
Dvalishvili (21-4) would win his next five fights, capturing the 135-pound title along the way. As for Yan (19-5), no stranger to the bantamweight strap, he rebounded from his “Machine” loss to bag three in a row and lay claim to the No. 2 spot in the official UFC rankings.
“If you’re gonna come out crying, ‘I got hurt,‘ then don’t take the fight,“ Wood continued. ”If you don’t want to do it, if you’re so banged up that you think you’re compromised, don’t take the fight. I tell any of my guys — we’re all banged up, we’re all injured — if you want to take the fight, take it. Whatever happens, it’s on you. If you get your ass whooped, we’re not blaming injuries, we’re not doing this. If you’re gonna take the fight, take the fight. Don’t come out, especially years later, and say whatever. But good, sell the fight. I don’t care. It’s all good.“
